Labor & Delivery

You will typically schedule your first appointment with a physician at 8-10 weeks.

A Preadmission appointment is a one-on-one appointment with a Registered Nurse from the Maternal Child Health after 36 weeks gestation. This appointment is offered to first time mothers, mothers who have never delivered at Stillwater Medical Center, or those who it has been an extended amount of time since their last child. During this private appointment, the RN will obtain a complete and thorough health history and pregnancy history, sign consents that may be used during your stay, and watch a short video regarding epidural anesthesia. The nurse will then go over information regarding your hospital stay including when to come to labor and delivery, what will happen when you get here, and what to expect throughout your stay until it’s time to go home. You will be allowed to ask questions, voice concerns, verbalize preferences, etc. A personal tour of the Maternal Child Health Unit will end the appointment. The average appointment will take approximately 1-1.5 hours. Your support person or father of baby is welcome and encouraged to attend this appointment with you. When you arrive at Stillwater Medical Center for your Preadmission appointment, you will check in through registration and “Pre-register” for your upcoming admission. Registration will then send you to the Maternal Child Health Unit on the 2nd floor of the hospital to complete your visit.

You will need your driver’s license and insurance cards to put on file for the hospital. Registration will also obtain current contact and demographic information.

You will be shown to our Triage Room or a Labor Room for monitoring. You may be asked to put on a hospital gown and/or give a urine sample. You will then be hooked up to the electronic fetal monitoring system and evaluated for signs of labor or complications/concerns. This will typically include obtaining vital signs and asking questions about why you came to Labor and Delivery, and about your pregnancy history and health history. Additional evaluation can include a cervical exam, lab work, placement of an IV, and/or other procedures.

If you are staying for labor and delivery you will be moved to a labor room. Your nurse will start an IV and send blood to the lab from your IV to obtain blood type and a complete blood count. A thorough assessment and history will be performed and fingerprints will be obtained from you for your baby’s footprint cards (one of them will be sent home with you as a keepsake). You will also sign consents that may be used during your stay if you have not done so previously. If you sign consent for an epidural, you will watch a short 10 minute video educating you on the epidural procedure along with risks and benefits.

• A family-centered approach to maternity care
• Supported individual birthing preferences
• Bedside exams and shift-to-shift report
• Rooming in
• Compassionate, highly trained and educated nurses who will help you learn how to take care of yourself and your baby after delivery (all trained and educated to assist with breastfeeding)
• At least 1 visit from a lactation specialist during your stay (more if needed or desired)
• Flexible visiting policy
• Quiet times from 1pm-3pm and 11pm–6am. (Visitors are asked to not be in the hallways during these times. Patients are allowed their support person plus one extra person if desired during quiet times.)
• Up to 3 support persons in room at time of delivery for a vaginal delivery
• 3 hour recovery for vaginal deliveries
• 1 support person present in OR for scheduled cesarean section deliveries
• Clear liquids only during labor ( ex: apple juice, jello, popsicles, broth, water, ice, sprite)
• Room service from 6:30am–6:30pm, which includes 3 meals per day and 2 snacks per day with your hospital stay
• 1 complimentary congratulatory meal for you and your support person
• Mom, baby, and support person of mothers choice will be banded with identical bands that will be used to identify baby and their caregivers
• Only those with ID bracelets matching baby’s may enter the nursery with the infant
• Blue security badges for all Maternal Child Health Unit team members
• Babies are not allowed to be carried in the hallways. They must be transported by their crib/bassinet while in the halls.
• Completion of birth certificate and hearing screening on baby
• 24-hour assessment on baby including jaundice scan, Critical Congenital Heart Disease screening, and State of Oklahoma Metabolic Screen
• Visitors will use the intercom system to gain access to the unit. They may also be asked to open or show contents in bags or suitcases when coming and going

All of our labor and postpartum rooms are private rooms. Each labor room is equipped with a private shower, central fetal monitoring with the option of wireless monitoring when available, and a computer for electronic medical record charting. Each labor room is also equipped with a newborn warmer set up with resuscitation equipment for every delivery. There is extra seating for support persons along with a full length couch that pulls out to a twin size bed for your birth partner or support person (egg crate, sheets, blankets, and pillows provided as needed). Phone, cable T.V., and free Wi-Fi is provided in each room. Find more information about our rooms and facility here.

Natural methods for pain control include usage of breathing techniques, use of birthing or peanut ball, use of birthing stool, walking, pacing, or squatting, possible whirlpool bath or shower for non-induction/augmented patients, massage, music, aromatherapy (provided by patient), distraction (with reading, playing cards, watching t.v., etc.), guided imagery and visualization, position changes, hot or cold therapy

Other options for pain control include IV pain medication, regional anesthesia (epidural), and local anesthetic (platelet count must be within normal limits to receive epidural anesthesia; IV pain medication and epidurals not available after 8cm).

During scheduled clinic hours, your physician will be called when you arrive. After scheduled clinic hours and on the weekend, the on-call physician will be called when you arrive.

We support and encourage babies rooming in with you as much as possible. We also support and offer skin to skin contact for at least the first hour or two of life. Your baby will sleep in the bassinet provided by the hospital in your room. In some cases if closer monitoring is needed, or if desired, your baby may come to the newborn nursery.

It is the policy of Stillwater Medical Center that recordings and photography may not occur during the course of vaginal or cesarean section deliveries. However, video and photographs may be taken before and after the delivery of a stable infant IF consent has been given by the physician and staff to do so. Video and photographs should not interfere with staff working quickly and efficiently and should not impede the use and movement of medical equipment. Please discuss your desire to use video or photography with your physician and caregivers PRIOR TO delivery.

You will stay in your labor room throughout your entire labor and delivery. Every patient will be moved to our postpartum hall sometime after your 3 hour recovery period.

Cesarean section patients are typically prepared for c/s in our triage room, then transported directly to a postpartum room after delivery where you will be for the remainder of your stay

You will typically stay 24-48 hours after a normal vaginal delivery. For a cesarean section, be prepared to stay at least 48 hours after delivery.